Poverty awareness event upcoming

TROY — On Sunday, March 31, Partners in Hope in Troy will sponsor a faith-based poverty simulation from 2-5 p.m. at Lincoln Community Center. There is no cost to attend.

According to executive director Jessica Echols, there are three main purposes of the experience. The first is to promote poverty awareness, the second to increase understanding, and the third is to inspire local change.

“The Poverty Simulation is not a game,” Echols said. “It is based on real Partners in Hope clients and their lives.”

During the poverty simulation, participants will take on the identity of someone else. They will work together with their family to live a month in poverty. Their simulated “Miami County community” is a large room. Participants and their neighbors’ “homes” are chairs in the center. The services you need like banks, schools and grocery stores are tables that line the perimeter of the room. Like real life, participants will need transportation to work or school. They need food on the table. They might even struggle with a chronic illness. Throughout the month, participants will face the daily stresses and challenges a person in poverty faces.

Poverty is a reality for many individuals and families. But unless you’ve experienced poverty, it’s difficult to truly understand, according to Echols. The Partners in Hope Poverty Simulation bridges that gap from misconception to understanding, she said. The poverty simulation is an interactive immersion experience. It sensitizes community participants to the realities of poverty, and will address specific questions about how the local faith community can effectively partner with and support families in need.

Partners in Hope, Inc. is a non-profit organization that opened its doors to serve the community in 1990. Throughout its 29 year history, PHI has offered programs of relief, education, and development to families in need. In 2018, programs and services were provided to more than 1,500 families in Troy, Casstown, Fletcher and the surrounding areas.

A video with additional information is available at www.partnersinhopeinc.org.

Make a reservation at jechols@partnersinhopeinc.org, or call 335-0448 for more information.